{"id":90506,"date":"2022-05-25T13:21:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-25T17:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=90506"},"modified":"2022-07-27T11:37:28","modified_gmt":"2022-07-27T15:37:28","slug":"swimming-up-stream","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/record\/articles\/2022\/swimming-up-stream\/","title":{"rendered":"Swimming Up Stream"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin record-block-editorial-leadin is-style-default has-media has-media-focus-center-bottom has-dark-theme\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"2560\" height=\"1821\" src=\"\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Title_Graphic_Image-2-scaled-1.jpeg\" class=\"\" alt=\"Neon text reading &quot;Are You Still Watching?&quot; with streaming video load bar and play button\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Title_Graphic_Image-2-scaled-1.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Title_Graphic_Image-2-scaled-1-636x452.jpeg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Title_Graphic_Image-2-scaled-1-1024x728.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Title_Graphic_Image-2-scaled-1-768x546.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Title_Graphic_Image-2-scaled-1-1536x1093.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Title_Graphic_Image-2-scaled-1-2048x1457.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Title_Graphic_Image-2-scaled-1-1161x826.jpeg 1161w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Title_Graphic_Image-2-scaled-1-959x682.jpeg 959w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Title_Graphic_Image-2-scaled-1-1451x1032.jpeg 1451w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Title_Graphic_Image-2-scaled-1-1857x1321.jpeg 1857w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Title_Graphic_Image-2-scaled-1-484x344.jpeg 484w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Title_Graphic_Image-2-scaled-1-744x529.jpeg 744w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Title_Graphic_Image-2-scaled-1-967x688.jpeg 967w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Title_Graphic_Image-2-scaled-1-1487x1058.jpeg 1487w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Title_Graphic_Image-2-scaled-1-1918x1364.jpeg 1918w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Title_Graphic_Image-2-scaled-1-1406x1000.jpeg 1406w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">Entertainment Law<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSwimming Up Stream\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">Alumni make waves in the big business of streaming film and television.<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar js-block-editorial-metabar record-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">May 25, 2022<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/record\/authors\/june-d-bell\/\">June D. Bell<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-introparagraph record-block-editorial-introparagraph is-style-dropcap-dimensional has-dropcap has-dropcap-color-secondary\"><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-introparagraph-content\"><p><strong>Ray Wu (&#8217;92) <\/strong>works long hours because viewers want to stream <em>The Mandalorian<\/em> on their phones and in their home theaters. He spends hours in negotiations with talent because <em>Star Wars<\/em> fans are hungry for new installments.&nbsp;<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>That relentless demand for content\u2014a craving that swung into overdrive during the pandemic, when audiences were stuck at home\u2014keeps Wu focused on hammering out deals. He\u2019s one of the attorneys who makes sure that <strong>Lucasfilm Ltd.<\/strong> has a stable of writers, directors, performers, showrunners, and producers to create live-action content for <strong>Disney+<\/strong>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Streaming had already been gaining traction before the pandemic, as viewers began accessing content at all hours and on every device. The number of streaming subscriptions in the US leapt by 32 percent between 2019 and 2020, with 55 percent of adults reporting that they streamed more content during the pandemic in 2020, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.motionpictures.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Motion Picture Association<\/a>. <strong>Netflix, Amazon, Hulu<\/strong>, and other companies ramped up their creation and distribution schedules, generating \u201chigh deal flow\u201d conditions for Wu and other entertainment lawyers who negotiate the details of developing, producing, and distributing content.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-bu-stats record-block-bu-stats has-2-stats\"><figure class=\"wp-block-bu-stats-figure\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-stats-row\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-bu-stat record-block-bu-stat has-circle1-color-light has-circle2-color-secondary has-number-size-2\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-stat-container-outer\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-stat-container-inner\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-stat-text-pre\">Growth in US streaming subscriptions<\/div><div class=\"wp-block-bu-stat-number\">32%<\/div><div class=\"wp-block-bu-stat-text-post\">2019-2020<\/div><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"100px\" height=\"100px\" viewbox=\"0 0 100 100\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 100 100\" class=\"wp-block-bu-stat-svg\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><circle class=\"wp-block-bu-stat-circle1\" cx=\"50\" cy=\"50\" r=\"47\" style=\"stroke-dashoffset:0\"><\/circle><circle class=\"wp-block-bu-stat-circle2\" cx=\"50\" cy=\"50\" r=\"47\" style=\"stroke-dashoffset:205.35999999999999\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-bu-stat record-block-bu-stat has-circle1-color-light has-circle2-color-secondary has-number-size-2\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-stat-container-outer\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-stat-container-inner\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-stat-text-pre\">Adults streaming<br>more content<\/div><div class=\"wp-block-bu-stat-number\">55%<\/div><div class=\"wp-block-bu-stat-text-post\">in 2020<\/div><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"100px\" height=\"100px\" viewbox=\"0 0 100 100\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 100 100\" class=\"wp-block-bu-stat-svg\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><circle class=\"wp-block-bu-stat-circle1\" cx=\"50\" cy=\"50\" r=\"47\" style=\"stroke-dashoffset:0\"><\/circle><circle class=\"wp-block-bu-stat-circle2\" cx=\"50\" cy=\"50\" r=\"47\" style=\"stroke-dashoffset:135.89999999999998\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-block-bu-stats-caption\"><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Wu, who joined Lucasfilm in 2021 as vice president, business affairs &amp; legal counsel, estimates he shepherds a dozen deals at a time. He\u2019s handled thousands of entertainment negotiations during his 20 years in the industry. Yet despite Hollywood\u2019s reputation for indulging outsized egos, Wu is low-key and congenial. He\u2019s also highly adaptable.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image alignfarleft\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/22-1013-RECORDWU-002-683x1024-1.jpeg\" alt=\"Ray Wu ('92) sitting in a chair beneath a Lucasfilm Ltd. sign and holding a baby Yoda doll.\" class=\"wp-image-90508\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/22-1013-RECORDWU-002-683x1024-1.jpeg 683w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/22-1013-RECORDWU-002-683x1024-1-424x636.jpeg 424w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/22-1013-RECORDWU-002-683x1024-1-551x826.jpeg 551w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/22-1013-RECORDWU-002-683x1024-1-455x682.jpeg 455w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/22-1013-RECORDWU-002-683x1024-1-229x344.jpeg 229w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/22-1013-RECORDWU-002-683x1024-1-353x529.jpeg 353w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/22-1013-RECORDWU-002-683x1024-1-459x688.jpeg 459w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/22-1013-RECORDWU-002-683x1024-1-667x1000.jpeg 667w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption>Raymond Wu (&#8217;92), vice president for business affairs &amp; legal counsel at Lucasfilm Ltd. Photo by Patrick Strattner.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSomething always comes up, and it can be anything,\u201d he says. \u201cThere\u2019s always the best-laid plans\u2014and then there\u2019s what happens. Really being flexible is a key part of this job. It could be anything from where we\u2019re going to shoot or when we\u2019re going to shoot or how long.\u201d Wu also oversees the legal aspects of production, \u201cso if something comes up on set and there\u2019s a question, I\u2019m often the first point of contact for our producers. I can try to problem-solve or issue-spot those things.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The public\u2019s appetite for fresh content has largely ended the cyclical production schedule that used to drive network TV show pilots and summer film releases. \u201cNow, people distribute content all times of year,\u201d Wu says. \u201cIt\u2019s not just spring or fall. Deal flow is constant. It\u2019s not limited to the holiday weekends for a film [release]. So you have to build your deals differently.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take contracts for performers and producers of TV shows. In the past, these agreements typically included contingent compensation\u2014usually a percentage of profits, plus additional bonuses for a show\u2019s longevity. \u201cYou always looked at the back end, and there was a formula you worked with, and then you negotiated vigorously,\u201d Wu says. \u201cNow the back end is very different because we base things on different parameters.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As streaming replaced a discrete TV season, the formula for assessing profitability had to change, too. \u201cIf we\u2019re not giving you X percent of profits [at the end of a season], how are we going to replace that?\u201d Wu says. \u201cFor example, would you give bonuses based on the number of [percentage] points you would have gotten before?\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Crafting and revising these terms is a team effort. \u201cI have colleagues all around the company working in many different areas of the law, and they\u2019re experts in their area,\u201d Wu says. \u201cI can lean on them and talk to them and get advice. Law is a very collaborative profession.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote record-block-bu-pullquote alignwide is-style-pop has-secondary-theme\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote-inner\"><blockquote><div class=\"container-lockup\"><div class=\"container-icon-outer\"><div class=\"container-icon-inner\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"container-text\"><hr\/><div class=\"quote-sizing\">There\u2019s always the best-laid plans\u2014and then there\u2019s what happens. Really being flexible is a key part of this job. I\u2019m often the first point of contact for our producers. I can try to problem-solve or issue-spot those things.<\/div><footer class=\"caption\">Ray Wu (&#8217;92)<\/footer><hr\/><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Before joining Lucasfilm, he was a partner at Business Affairs Inc. in Los Angeles, whose clients included Amazon and producers who made movies for Netflix, Apple, and other streaming services. He landed his first entertainment law role in 2000\u2014a \u201cdream job\u201d for a theater lover\u2014with <strong>Disney Theatrical Group<\/strong>. A dozen Disney movies, including <em>The Lion King<\/em>, <em>Beauty and the Beast<\/em>, and <em>Aladdin<\/em>, have been adapted for musical theater. He then spent a decade with Warner Bros. Entertainment, negotiating and structuring deals for its Theatre Ventures division.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image alignfarright\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" src=\"\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/mandalorian.jpeg\" alt=\"Photo of life-like statue of Yoda from the Star Wars franchise\" class=\"wp-image-90510\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/mandalorian.jpeg 200w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/mandalorian-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/mandalorian-100x100.jpeg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><figcaption>When it was released in 2019, <em>The Mandalorian<\/em> was the #1 most in-demand show in the US and globally.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Lucasfilm, launched by director and producer George Lucas, is renowned for its <em>Star Wars<\/em> and <em>Indiana Jones<\/em> series. It was acquired by Disney in 2012 and is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios. The company\u2019s business and legal affairs team has about 20 members. The business affairs group negotiates all direct-to-consumer TV series distributed through Disney+, including talent agreements. The legal affairs group then drafts the agreements. Series such as <em>The Mandalorian<\/em> or <em>Willow<\/em> typically involve four negotiators and six legal affairs staffers, Wu says.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although Wu plays a vital role in day-to-day business operations, he also thinks strategically, pondering how the language in contracts must evolve to reflect new technologies such as augmented reality and the metaverse. In the immersive online world of the metaverse, users can participate in virtual activities and events, buy and sell goods in a digital economy, and \u201cexist\u201d as avatars.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou start with a very broad, open mind: This new possibility, what is it?\u201d Wu says. \u201cWhat are we dealing with, and how are we going to create content for that? And how are people going to view it? What is our goal in the deal-making process?&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat leads to a more narrowed approach of looking at our current deals, paperwork, and our agreements, and saying, \u2018Does that cover it?\u2019 And if it doesn\u2019t, how do we need to change it? I could be changing everything or just adapting. More likely, I would say, it\u2019s additive. You adapt your current documents to account for it.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He notes that entertainment lawyers modified movie contracts in the 1980s to allow distribution on videocassettes and later, on DVDs. \u201cIt\u2019s always an adaptation, and that\u2019s a good analogy to law, right?\u201d Wu says. \u201cWe\u2019re hoping laws will stand and maybe be adapted to serve people better as things change and time changes. Same with agreements. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s necessary to always throw something out and start anew. It\u2019s more of, see what you have and how do you adapt it to be more efficient.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wu\u2019s work is often cerebral, but he occasionally bumps elbows with celebrities. He once had lunch with actor Bruce Willis, \u201cbut I can\u2019t say I\u2019m texting him every day.\u201d During his theater days, he spent time with William Goldman, who wrote and adapted for the screen <em>The Princess Bride<\/em> and won Oscars for his screenplays of <em>Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid<\/em> and <em>All the President\u2019s Men<\/em>. \u201cI watched him work and felt blessed to be in a room with him,\u201d Wu says.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wu occasionally receives invitations to Hollywood events but never agonizes about being omitted from wrap parties or premieres. \u201cI didn\u2019t realize how hard it was to do an invite list until I got married,\u201d he says. \u201cSo I told myself, I\u2019ll never be insulted if I don\u2019t get invited to a wedding. I look at it the same way with red-carpet events.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"headline-1\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-headline record-block-editorial-headline is-style-emphasis-color\"><strong>Making Deals at the Nexus of Art and Law<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If it weren\u2019t for Netflix, <strong>Sarah Collins (&#8217;13)<\/strong> and millions of other viewers wouldn\u2019t have become hooked on <em>The Great British Baking Show<\/em>. She and roughly 214 million subscribers turn to Netflix for content on demand\u2014and Netflix turns to Collins for negotiating talent deals and drafting contracts for its original series.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image alignfarright\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"667\" height=\"1000\" src=\"\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/22-1012-RECORDCOLLINS-003-667x1000-1.jpeg\" alt=\"Sarah Collins ('13) in front of a garden wall with Emmys behind, standing next to a director's chair with a Netflix logo.\" class=\"wp-image-90507\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/22-1012-RECORDCOLLINS-003-667x1000-1.jpeg 667w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/22-1012-RECORDCOLLINS-003-667x1000-1-424x636.jpeg 424w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/22-1012-RECORDCOLLINS-003-667x1000-1-551x826.jpeg 551w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/22-1012-RECORDCOLLINS-003-667x1000-1-455x682.jpeg 455w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/22-1012-RECORDCOLLINS-003-667x1000-1-229x344.jpeg 229w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/22-1012-RECORDCOLLINS-003-667x1000-1-353x529.jpeg 353w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/22-1012-RECORDCOLLINS-003-667x1000-1-459x688.jpeg 459w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 667px) 100vw, 667px\" \/><figcaption>Sarah Collins (&#8217;13) director, original series, at Netflix. Photo by Patrick Strattner.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>She\u2019s handled contract negotiations for <em>When They See Us<\/em> as well as <em>Outer Banks<\/em> and <em>The Society<\/em>, which was filmed in several Massachusetts towns including Lexington, Concord, and Lancaster. Netflix, which began as a DVD rental service, expanded to subscription-based video streaming in 2007. It\u2019s the most popular video streaming brand in the US, accounting for 34 percent of streamed content, according to 2020 Nielsen data from 1,000 homes. Netflix fed that demand by amping up its offerings last year. It was prepared to debut a new movie every week in 2021 and had queued up more than 500 titles for release that year, according to the <em>Wall Street Journal<\/em>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Collins says her work is an ideal blend of her legal training and her passion for the arts. \u201cThere\u2019s no one path that takes you into entertainment,\u201d she says, noting that some of her coworkers have backgrounds in litigation and corporate work. \u201cThe focus on being an excellent attorney is the common denominator I see in my colleagues.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After studying English and art history at Georgetown University, she enrolled at BU Law, where she took classes in trademark law, contract drafting, and entertainment law. She helped found and lead the Art Law Society and was an extern at Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts in Boston.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When she\u2019d gained transactional experience at a Boston firm, Collins moved to Los Angeles to seek work at the nexus of entertainment and law. She spent several years at <strong>Studio 8<\/strong>, which produced TV shows and feature films for theatrical release. She joined Netflix in 2017 and is a member of the company\u2019s business and legal affairs team for dramas.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-bu-stats record-block-bu-stats alignleft has-1-stats\"><figure class=\"wp-block-bu-stats-figure\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-stats-row\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-bu-stat record-block-bu-stat has-circle1-color-secondary has-circle2-color-secondary has-number-size-2\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-stat-container-outer\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-stat-container-inner\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-stat-number\">214M<\/div><div class=\"wp-block-bu-stat-text-post\">Netflix had 214 million subscribers as of Q3 2021<\/div><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"100px\" height=\"100px\" viewbox=\"0 0 100 100\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 100 100\" class=\"wp-block-bu-stat-svg\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><circle class=\"wp-block-bu-stat-circle1\" cx=\"50\" cy=\"50\" r=\"47\" style=\"stroke-dashoffset:302\"><\/circle><circle class=\"wp-block-bu-stat-circle2\" cx=\"50\" cy=\"50\" r=\"47\" style=\"stroke-dashoffset:302\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-block-bu-stats-caption\"><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Her core task is negotiating deals for writers, producers, directors, and actors and overseeing business matters on multimillion-dollar productions. \u201cThere are so many people involved, including many who are working behind the cameras and behind the scenes, and if you can\u2019t get these deals closed, they can\u2019t do their jobs,\u201d Collins says. \u201cThe closer you get to the start of production, the more people are being hired and the more money is on the line. If you aren\u2019t able to close the actor deals, a production might be delayed, which can have significant financial impact.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite that pressure, Collins sees negotiations as a collaborative process. \u201cI come at things from an angle of building trust, not only with the talent we work with but also among other attorneys and executives. It\u2019s not a huge industry, so we end up crossing paths frequently. Obviously, we work for parties that are at odds, but I view it as working toward a similar goal, which is ultimately getting content onto our service and helping our producers bring their visions to life on the screen.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-end-of-article\">She\u2019s especially enthusiastic about the surge of content available globally. Netflix provides content in more than 30 languages and 190 countries. \u201cIt gives us opportunities to hear voices on a scale that didn\u2019t necessarily exist before,\u201d Collins says. \u201cThese great stories can come from anywhere and be loved by people all over the world.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:23% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/news-stories\/issues\/spring-2022\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"791\" height=\"1024\" src=\"\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Record-S22-Cover.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of kayakers approaching a waterfall made of a music staff, which spills into rapids with clefs and music notes forming the rushing water\" class=\"wp-image-90449\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Record-S22-Cover.jpg 791w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Record-S22-Cover-491x636.jpg 491w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Record-S22-Cover-768x994.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Record-S22-Cover-638x826.jpg 638w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Record-S22-Cover-527x682.jpg 527w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Record-S22-Cover-266x344.jpg 266w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Record-S22-Cover-409x529.jpg 409w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Record-S22-Cover-531x688.jpg 531w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Record-S22-Cover-772x1000.jpg 772w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/06\/Record-S22-Cover-335x435.jpg 335w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 791px) 100vw, 791px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p><br>FEATURED IN:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><em>The Record<\/em>, Spring 2022<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/news-stories\/issues\/spring-2022\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">See all stories<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ray Wu (&#8217;92) and Sarah Collins (&#8217;13) bring popular streaming content to the masses at Lucasfilm Ltd. and Netflix.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16262,"featured_media":90512,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"Entertainment Law","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[2100],"bu-publication":[3742],"record-article-category":[3918,3744,3765,4135,3786],"record-topic":[],"bu_edition":[],"media_type":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/90506"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16262"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90506"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/90506\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93626,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/90506\/revisions\/93626"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90512"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90506"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90506"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=90506"},{"taxonomy":"record-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/record-article-category?post=90506"},{"taxonomy":"record-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/record-topic?post=90506"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=90506"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=90506"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}